Injured tusker dies due to delay in treatment

An elephant that was spotted by villagers in an injured condition at Salboni forests in West Midnapore district died on Friday morning.

The villagers have blamed the delay on the part of Bengal forest department in initiating the treatment for the elephant as the prime reason for its death.

The adult male elephant was spotted lying on a field at Chandankat forest in Salboni by local villagers on Thursday morning around 6 am. The elephant was writhing in pain. Villagers soon informed the forest officials.

However, the officials took more than eight hours to bring in a veterinary doctor to the spot and the treatment started at around 4 pm.

The veterinary doctor tranquilised the elephant and administered some medicines.

The wild animal responded very little to the treatment through the night and finally died early on Friday morning. Villagers alleged that had the forest officials facilitated the treatment early, the elephant could have survived.